Higher Education Accessibility

Posted on December 28, 2007 by Jennifer Brady

Catching up on some recent distance learning news feeds, I stumbled across an opinion piece appearing in The Athens Messenger (based in Ohio) written by Jan Schmittauer who is an associate professor of English at Ohio University-Chillicothe. Entitled “Making higher education an accessible resource,” the column shares another perspective of why distance learning is important and why it makes so much sense.

According to the column, the University System of Ohio and Ohio University-Chillicothe’s are just beginning to examine ways to make higher education more accessible to area residents via online and blended learning programs.

In addition to presenting her subjective views on the matter, Ms. Schmittauer also offers some interesting statistics with special reference to rural areas, remote regions, and places where many would-be college students must work and support families while trying to take college courses. She writes:

According to 2006 U.S. Census Bureau statistics, while 23 percent of Ohioans 25 years and older hold at least a bachelor’s degree, that number is just 11 percent for Ross County residents… Further, approximately half of our students at the Chillicothe campus are non-traditional college students, who often balance academics with family and job responsibilities. For these students - whether pursuing degrees in Chillicothe or elsewhere - traveling to campus can be difficult, if not impossible, and a smart distance learning approach can help to remove some of the barriers and offer the promise of a college education to more Ohioans.

I agree of course. The only sentiment I would add to that regional view is that distance learning has international impact reaching far beyond the geographic borders of Ohio or Massachusetts. While we at UMassOnline continue to serve a local, regional, and national student constituency, our offerings are developed with a global scope in mind sharing Ms. Schmittauer’s goal of making learning accessible to those who can’t easily reach it!